The Fragility Of Romano
by Darkthorn998
Summary: Promise to Protect rewrite. Romano has not been as strong since the Italian Unification. A fateful day reminds them all of the fragility of his life. Warning: Character death, swearing.


A sharp pain coursed through his body and turned the world a dazzling white, slender fingers reached down for the source of the pain as he moved continuously through the white, trying to get somewhere, anywhere before supposedly collapsing onto the floor, a dull thud the only thing that had registered the past few seconds as being that, he couldn't quite tell where he was anymore. Isolation ensued for what had felt like a lifetime as the pain had become flaming and pulsating, taking up the whiteness and filling it with a display of orange like flames dancing to the beat of his deafening pulse, the only sound that was apparent to him in the time he had been still, his eyes flickering open and closed, trying to make out something, anything, but his vision never changing, even behind his eyelids the flames followed him, as if taunting him. A whisper could be heard from somewhere in the expanse of inferno before suddenly the orange disappeared and all that was left was an enveloping and stuffy black, as if the flames had been mere candles and someone had snuffed them out, extinguishing their life force. But the black was much more inviting, and he allowed himself to settle to the new peace he had acquired, forgetting what had come before.

But, hmm.. What was that? He awoke with suddenness quite alien to someone such as himself, trying to sit up but not being able to, as if there were a weight pressing down on him from above. And was that..? Yes. His brother was kneeling by his side and he realized he was not asleep in his room but under a blue sky dotted with small clouds. Feliciano appeared to be crying, not that that was unusual, and as any big brother should do, albeit reluctantly, he spoke the words "What's wrong?" with a slur he had not foreseen as being present in his speech, his breath hitching in the last syllable as his body jerked slightly with the pain that seemed to be more intense than before.

His brother did not speak but merely raised a shaky hand and pointed to the spot on his side that Romano had reached to cover earlier, the other hand placed against his mouth as he let out yet more shaky sobs. Romano hesitantly looked down to see blood pouring from a wound, pausing for a second before realizing it was his own, letting out a cursing utterance under his breath, and in that moment Romano realized what was wrong, it all fit together like pieces of a too cruel jigsaw puzzle, each piece sliding into each other far too easily for comfort. Since the unification of Italy he hadn't been as strong, and so where he would have been calm before he was now distraught as the full realization of what would happen hit him, just noticing the tall blonde that stood behind his brother.

Feliciano continued with unflattering wails, spitting out fast-paced nonsense about how they could remedy the situation and how they would be fine, and go back to how they had used to be, and Romano felt a seething rage built up inside him of how his brother could be so naïve, it was obvious he was dying! He had to do something..

"Hey! P-potato bastard, come here!" –more shaky breathing ensued as the German crouched down slowly, a look of minor confusion present on his face. "Listen here. There is no way my brother is going to make it on his own when I go, now you fucking promise me you will protect him with your life where I can't. I may not have been the strongest or the bravest but I need you to promise me this. Okay?" The response he got was a small noise of acknowledgement and a nod. "G-go on then, you two get your asses out of here and to safety." Another nod, and Ludwig pulled a screaming Feliciano from his brothers body which was now constantly jerking, the pain settling in more as the final seconds had approached.

"Auf wiedersehen" was the quiet words spoken to the South Italian as they readied themselves to leave, Ludwig giving him a salute.

"C-ciao.. Bastard… Ciao… Feliciano…"

And with that they took off, remembering the cruelty and unceasing qualities of war and experiencing them on a very personal level once again. For this is the life of a country, unforgiving. Immortality is never as kind and wonderful as they shall make it seem to be in books.


End file.
